A steward aboard the giant flying-boat, ‘Canopus’ serves breakfast to a passenger in a lower bunk. The Canopus could cruise at 200mph and carried 16 passengers in night stages. Photo: General Photographic Agency/Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images

Travellers would be treated to three-course meals at tablecloths covered with linen and they would even be allowed to sleep on a flight — some sleeper planes had up to 20 beds.

While air travel was considerably quicker than travelling by land, it still too a very long time.

A trip from London to Singapore would take around eight days because of the refuelling stops required.

It wasn’t cheap either — that journey would cost $290, which works out at around $17,800 in today’s money.